Commission Us

We welcome the opportunity to develop new relationships with schools and community groups. Our wealth of expertise always allows us to create tailor-made stand alone workshops and extended projects.

Please get in touch with Rhiannon Hannon if you have an exciting idea you would like to discuss.

Here are just a few examples of our past work:

Memories

Memories was a 10-week drama workshop project, delivered by our Learning & Participation team in partnership with Horbury Senior Citizens Support Group and commissioned by the NHS through NOVA / West Wakefield health & wellbeing.

The project aimed to establish a warm, friendly and welcoming space that encouraged participants to feel at ease with one another and increase their confidence in making social connections, increase gentle healthy movement and encourage giving and taking of notice to others. The project used drama exercises and creative storytelling techniques and was filmed by Amy Charles Media.

“We think it’s great, there’s so much laughter in the room”Workshop participant

The Big Sleepover: Tooth Camp

Written by Jane Thornton Directed by Rhiannon Hannon Commissioned by Wakefield Council in partnership with Mid-Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust Supported by Wakefield College

In Autumn 2015 Theatre Royal Wakefield presented a vibrant and interactive 40-minute performance that helped Key Stage One students think of their teeth in a whole new way!

The Big Sleepover: Tooth Camp surprised and delighted young children whilst addressing the serious issue of oral health. The play starred Chris Hannon (Topsy and Tim's dad, CBeebies) and Amy Thompson (presenter of Milkshake, Channel 5).

Wakefield has poor levels of oral health in both adults and children, making this an important health priority for the district. Both dental decay and gum disease can be effectively prevented and controlled through a combination of community, professional and individual action.

Passport to Theatre: 2015

Commissioned by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS to create a cohesive programme that welcomes mental health service users to Theatre Royal Wakefield.

Through a range of workshops and opportunities to watch some of our programme highlights, we created a safe and friendly environment that provided special moments and a new range of social opportunities to those who might otherwise feel the theatre is ‘not for them’.

Tackling Stigma, promoting an inclusive culture

In 2014, Spectrum and the NHS Wakefield Clinical Commissioning Group engaged Theatre Royal Wakefield to lead a high profile event on World Mental Health Day.

We contributed to the launch of an 18-month movement with an honest enquiry and helped the participating organisations to have a better understanding of what mental health problems in the workplace mean and start to unpick how we can make changes in the workplace.

We used drama as a creative tool to allow empathy and understanding between individuals who, while sharing similar experiences, can often view life from a different perspective. We utilised a range of dramatic techniques which broke down barriers and engaged a diverse audience in discussion.

The Sculptor’s Surprise

A live performance experience inspired by Barbara Hepworth and performed in schools for up to 120 students. Meet Ruby, she loves sculpture and she’s just about to unveil her first ever piece but is she brave enough? The Sculptor’s Surprise introduced KS2 Students to Barbara Hepworth, her love of sculpture and her dedication to it, as well as asking them to think about their own talents.

Check out the video to see what people thought of The Sculptor's Surprise!

“The children’s engagement was fantastic and the enthusiasm was so infectious that it made you want to go away and create!”

Creative Partnerships

In 2010/2011 We worked with a network of six Wakefield schools in our Creative Partnerships programme. We asked the question ‘What makes a Creative Learning Environment?’ in tailor-made programmes that aligned with schools key strategic priorities and allowed for CPD opportunities within each school.

We worked with St Marys CofE Junior and Infants School, Horbury Bridge Primary School, Airedale High School, Highfield SEN School, Sandal Magna Junior and Infants School and Cathedral CE School (The Wakefield School of the Arts).

Raise - Artists In Schools

Raise - Artists In Schools is a year long programme of arts based activity, delivered across three schools within the Wakefield District, which involves an artist or artists from Theatre Royal Wakefield working with a variety of young people and teachers to create new and innovative opportunities for creative practice.

“All children and young people should have the chance to experience top quality culture... I want all young people to have the chance to both experience and take part in creative activities to help them learn and develop.” Ed Balls, former Children’s Minister

Funded by Healthy Schools, Raise - Artists In Schools will provide a unique opportunity to work alongside education specialists and young people to develop and deliver a substantial period of creative engagement which, we believe, will have a huge positive impact on the mental and emotional health and wellbeing of all the participants.

“We are extremely proud to be the first creative organisation in the whole of the UK to run this programme. I place great importance on the role that the arts have to play in learning and development and we intend to play our part in making the scheme a national success for the benefit of children and young people throughout the country!”

Murray EdwardsTheatre Royal Wakefield’s former Executive Director

Performing for Success

Performing for Success is a programme that works with children from schools in the Wakefield District. Wakefield Council’s Children’s Centres and Extended Services Department commissioned Theatre Royal Wakefield to deliver this series of sessions.

The pilot, which took place November 2008 to January 2009, is inspired by the original and successful Playing for Success programme in which children engage with each other and professionals in a sports environment thus encouraging them to approach learning in a different way.

Performing for Success follows the same structure as the Playing for Success model in that children will learn in an arts environment, but the delivery will be more practical with an emphasis on performance and skills learned in a creative way.

In the same way that the Playing for Success programme finishes with a ‘celebration event’, the Performing for Success sessions will culminate in a performance or other practical piece of work which is intended to give the children a sense of pride and ownership in their new skills.